Books with author Leanne Franson

Thumb and his best friend, Susan, love movie nights, when the entire community of New Auckland gathers in the school gym to eat popcorn and watch videos. Mostly they are movies about bad guys being tracked down by cool detectives. It's the villains, Thumb realizes, that make life interesting. If only he could track down a bad guy. But New Auckland is a remote fishing village. There are only 143 people in the entire community. How could there possibly be bad guys around? Thumb is determined, and so he and Susan conduct a stakeout. Their suspicions soon focus on Kirk McKenna, a toothless, bald fisherman. They track Kirk to a hidden shed in the woods, where they hear the muffled but chilling sounds of wailing. Meanwhile, their teacher sends the kids off to solve a different kind of mystery -- an archeological one that leads them to the possible site of an early European gun placement. Suddenly mysteries abound for Thumb and his friends.

Leon and his friend Susan live in New Auckland, a small isolated fishing village on the coast of British Columbia. One day, the village receives an unexpected gift from the Government of Canada -- a fire truck. But New Auckland is surrounded by mountains and hugs a tiny beach. There are no roads, no cars, no fire hydrants. What will the village do with its new truck? The man who comes to build the fire station brings with him a practical joke that scares the wits out of Leon and Susan -- a real live wiggling thumb, completely detached from its owner. Which will leave the biggest mark on the village -- the first vehicle most villagers have ever seen, or a simple joke?

A Horn Book Fanfare Top Ten List selection and an SSLI Honor Book Thumb and Susan come up with an ingenious plan that will take all of the village's nine school-aged kids on the trip of a lifetime. They'll form a baseball team, win the regional title and qualify to be sent to the provincial championships in Vancouver, courtesy of the school board. Never mind that none of them has ever played baseball before. Never mind that there are no other teams to compete for the regional championship. Never mind that the village is not even wide enough to accommodate a baseball diamond. With a lot of ingenuity and a little grownup help, including the advice of a shipwrecked British children's writer-cum-cricket-expert named Mr. Entwhistle, the New Auckland Beavers go into training and start packing their bags. But what will happen when they get to Vancouver? Will they be humiliated by the toughest teams in the province?

Inspired by a movie shown at the local gym (with the whole town in attendance), 11-year-old Leon (aka Thumb) wants to track down a bad guy. After all, without bad guys, the Harry Potter books would just be stories about school. And he wouldn't mind being known as the Jake Danger of New Auckland. But with only 143 people in his remote British Columbia fishing village, surrounded by mountains and ocean, how could there even be any bad guys around? And where would they hide? But Thumb is determined, so he and his pal Susan conduct a stakeout. Their suspicions soon focus on bald, toothless old Kirk McKenna, who has the revolting habit of spitting on the sidewalk. Meanwhile, a new teacher, the odd Ms. Weatherby, has arrived in town wearing heavy makeup and a terrible wig. Maybe she's the "bad guy" they're seeking. Will the determined duo find their villain?

Leon and his friend Susan live in New Auckland, an isolated village on the northwest coast of British Columbia. One day, the village receives an unexpected gift from the government — a fire truck. The problem is that mountains surround the village. There are no roads, no cars, and no fire hydrants. The man who comes to build the fire station brings with him a practical joke that scares the wits out of Leon and Susan — a real live wiggling thumb. It’s a toss-up as to which object will leave a bigger impact on the villagers — the first vehicle they’ve ever seen or the bizarre appendage.

Inspired by a movie shown at the local gym (with the whole town in attendance), 11-year-old Leon (aka Thumb) wants to track down a bad guy. After all, he thinks, without bad guys, the Harry Potter books would just be stories about school. And he wouldn't mind being known as the Jake Danger of New Auckland. But with only 143 people in his remote British Columbia fishing village, surrounded by mountains and ocean, how could there even be any bad guys around? And where would they hide? But Thumb is determined, so he and his pal Susan conduct a stakeout. Their suspicions soon focus on bald, toothless old Kirk McKenna, who has the revolting habit of spitting on the sidewalk. Meanwhile, a new teacher, the odd Ms. Weatherby, has arrived in town wearing heavy makeup and a terrible wig. Maybe she's the "bad guy" they're seeking. Will the determined duo find their villain? Ken Roberts brings his trademark quirky characters, tight plotting, detailed portrait of small-town life, and lively humor to this fascinating story that also contains underlying messages about tolerance and the value of community.

Leon (now known by his nickname, Thumb) and his best friend Susan love their tiny, remote fishing village wedged between the sea and the mountains. It is beautiful, peaceful — and very boring. So Thumb and Susan come up with an ingenious plan to form a baseball team, win the regional title, and qualify to be sent to the championships in Vancouver courtesy of the school board. Never mind that none of the village's children have ever played baseball before. Never mind that there are no other teams to compete with. Never mind that the village is not even wide enough for a baseball diamond. With a lot of ingenuity and a little grown-up help, the New Auckland Beavers go into training and start packing their bags. But what will happen when they get to Vancouver? Ken Roberts’s witty portrait of the droll, gently subversive villagers of New Auckland makes this book a welcome sequel to its acclaimed predecessor.

Leon (now known by his new nickname, Thumb) and his best friend Susan love their tiny, remote fishing village of New Auckland. Wedged between the sea and the mountains, it is beautiful, peaceful — and getting a little boring. So Thumb and Susan come up with an ingenious plan to form a baseball team, win the regional title, and qualify to be sent to the provincial championships in Vancouver, courtesy of the school board. Never mind that none of the village's nine school-aged children have ever played baseball before. Never mind that there are no other teams to compete with for the regional championship. Never mind that the village is not even wide enough for a baseball diamond. With a lot of ingenuity and a little grown-up help, including the advice of shipwrecked British children’s writer Mr. Entwhistle, the New Auckland Beavers go into training and start packing their bags. But what will happen when they get to Vancouver?Ken Roberts’s witty portrait of the droll, gently subversive villagers of New Auckland makes this a welcome sequel to its acclaimed predecessor.